Warning: Rough Road Ahead
by RatedRforRecycled
Summary: When everything comes crashing down, who will be there to help you after the fall? Rated M for swearing, some drug references, sexual situations, and some violence. CHAPTER 5 IS FINALLY UP! PLEASE R & R!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: I own none of the characters in this story.. Situations presented in this story are purely fictional (well except for the obvious ones, but we all know which those are) and for your enjoyment and entertainment only.

Chapter 1

This just couldn't be happening, not to her, not now. Not to one of the most powerful women in the wrestling industry. Stephanie sat at the computer still unable to believe what was now staring her straight in the face as she opened her e-mail. Pictures of Paul, many of them, had been sent to her and they weren't of him by himself either. Oh no, she couldn't be that lucky of course. Instead they were of him getting pretty close with one of the Diva Search girls.

"That fuckin' bastard, thinking he's such a smooth operator and that no one would find out. Who the hell is he, thinking that he can get away with this kind of crap?" she yelled, scaring the sleeping 6-week old angel next to her.

Aurora woke up right that second and started crying, startled by her mother's yelling. Steph went over to Aurora's crib, taking her out and holding her close to try and comfort the infant.

"Mommy's sorry 'Rora, I didn't mean to scare you…. it's ok baby girl, you're ok now" Steph whispered to her, rocking back and forth to calm both Aurora and herself.

Tonight they had decided to visit work since they were doing a show close by in East Rutherford. It had only been two months since Stephanie temporarily stopped traveling with the company and she was itching to be backstage again, even if there was no work involved. Steph had counted on it being a non-stressful, non-dramatic visit but told herself that she should've known otherwise. There were no such days in the WWE, especially when your father was the one guiding the ship. Aurora had started to calm down a bit and was drifting back to sleep when Stephanie was brought out of her thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Just a minute," she said, putting Aurora back in her crib. "Ok, you can come in now."

"So the word around here is true after all, there is an unexpected visitor or two in the building tonight", said one smiling Kurt Angle, walking into the room.

To say that Stephanie was surprised to see him when she turned around was an understatement in the least.

"Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you around… you know…. after…well, after everything that happened with the ECW thing and in general.", she said, looking down at the floor.

Kurt sighed, walking over to Stephanie and knowing fully well that there was a huge guilt cloud hanging over her head. He rested his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to look up to no avail.

"Steph look at me," he said, trying to get her to do so and being successful after a minute or two. "You and I both know that me being put back into the main event light when I needed to take a time out to take care of stuff was NOT your fault! Everyone knows that your father doesn't listen to anyone about anything and cares solely about business. For that, I could never be angry with you or place any blame regarding the situation on you."

Upon hearing this, Stephanie let out a huge sigh of relief while trying to suppress tears that were trying their hardest to flow freely for all to see. The last thing she wanted was to lose one of her best friends over something she tried to stop and worked so hard to change.

"So you're not mad at me?", Stephanie asked; a question that was soon followed by a chuckle and grin that gave reassurance that there was nothing to worry about.

"Are you kidding me Steph? I'm far from mad at you, more like sad seeing you like this. You place all this blame on yourself for things that you have no control over and then let it eat away at you little by little. At some point Stephanie, you have to realize that not everything that happens around here and even at home is your fault."

Kurt walked over to the computer, stopping to look at Aurora still sleeping peacefully.

"She is just adorable, definitely looks like you." Stephanie laughed, "Yeah, and has both the appetite and temperament of her father, which can only mean she'll be a handful in a couple years." Kurt was quiet for a minute, the mention of Paul entertaining a nagging question in the back of his mind.

"Where is the temperamental Gonzo anyways? Shouldn't he be giving you a break so that you can relax for a bit?"

Stephanie looked at her watch, 5:45 P.M. it read. Paul had been gone for an awful long time and as of now had yet to call and say what time he was going to be back at.

"I'm actually not sure, he's been gone a while and didn't say what time he would be back before he left. It's weird that he's not back yet, seeing as him and Michaels still need to go over things for the show tonight. Maybe he decided to go warm up in the ring before coming back here."

"Oh stupid me, I totally forgot to check my e-mail today, I'm waiting to hear back from my brother. Steph, do you mind if I use your computer real quick? I promise this won't take long at all.", Kurt asked, feeling stupid for asking about Paul's whereabouts.

"Oh it's no problem at all, take your time. I'm done with it for now, my hands were going to be numb if I did any more typing." Steph replied, not hesitating to change the subject in a hurry.

Kurt sat down and for a moment, there was a long pause, kinda like one of those uncomfortable silences where you could hear a pin drop.

"So….. what else is new since I've been gone? Well, besides the fact that my father has lost his mind with this whole DX feud thing. " Steph asked, trying to spark some kind of neutral conversation point.

"Oh not much, except the Diva Search girls are driving everyone crazy, creative is acting like a bunch of girls and majorly fighting amongst themselves, and the only saving grace on RAW out of all of this is just the fact that there is a rational McMahon around in the form of Shane.", he replied, noticing that Stephanie had forgotten to log out of her e-mail before answering the door.

"Hey, did you……." "What in the hell is this????"


	2. DeNial Isn't Just A River In Egypt

Disclaimer: Once again, I own no one so don't try to sue me because all you'll get is a small dorm room and a load of laundry. The situations presented here are for your entertainment and enjoyment and do not represent the character of those in the story.

Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay in updates... we are currently experiencing a Internet connectivity crisis (well to me it's a crisis) on campus due to a cut fiber optic wire along one of the highway areas which is gonna take a while to get repaired. Also, this chapter is kinda lengthy... tried to cut it down but there was just too much to build up for Chapter 3.

Comments are welcomed and highly encouraged, I love feedback.

Chapter 2 – De-nial isn't just a river in Egypt

Paul knew he shouldn't be at his current location but the opportunity before him was just too good to pass up. After all, how many guys can say they've hooked up with the Canadian knockout Diva Search contestant Maryse? At the moment they were in one of the unoccupied locker rooms on the opposite side of the arena, laying on a couch.

"You know, we're going to have to start being more careful about these meetings. If we get too comfortable, we're likely to slip up and be caught." Maryse said, rounding up her belongings. "The last thing I want is to have an angry McMahon looking to beat the crap out of me."

"Don't worry about it, I've got that all figured out. All you need to worry about... well actually, there isn't a thing you need to worry about. You're young, sexy, great outgoing personality... you've got everything going for you." Paul said, watching her move around the room.

To say that he was pleased with this arrangement was a _huge _understatement. Not only did he get to have hot sex with one of the hottest up & coming divas whenever he wanted, but Stephanie had no idea what was going on.

"She'll never find out about us, I can make sure of that."he said, leaving the room.

Unknown to either of them, there was someone lurking in the shadows videotaping the entire thing.

* * *

"What is what?" Stephanie asked, trying to play the whole blissfully ignorant card. 

"Don't play dumb with me, I know that you know what I am talking about here. What the hell are these pictures about?" Kurt asked, knowing in his heart what the answer was. He wasn't stupid enough to think for a moment that there was any innocence in either picture. Too bad there would be no easy way to break the news, let alone get Stephanie to believe him.

"I honestly don't know what this is all about. Someone e-mailed them to me with no explanation, just 'thought you should see this' typed below them." Stephanie said, pointing it out on the screen. "Obviously they're of Paul, there is no questioning or denying that fact. But why? Why is he at the bar with a girl he barely knows and why are they so close in the one picture? He would never cheat on me, I know he wouldn't" she told Kurt, getting only a questioning glance in reply which concerned Steph quite a bit.

"He wouldn't do that to me, to us... would he?"

Kurt sighed, he really didn't want to hurt her but she needed to hear what both himself and many of the guys in the back thought.

"Steph, you're one of my best friends and I hate to see you in this kind of situation but this has to be said. A lot of the guys in the back think that he is having an affair with this Diva Search tramp but we can't prove it 100 because he's very sly about everything. Obviously he is starting to slip up since someone got photos of them together, but we are really concerned about this. Paul's been acting weird, very suspicious phone calls that he has to leave the room for, never staying in the same hotel as everyone else... it's what has been going on when you're not here." Kurt told her, hoping that his concern was taken seriously.

It was no secret him and Paul did not like or trust the other and Kurt hated how much the arrogant prick was becoming like Vince. It was almost heartbreaking to say the very least. He could still remember a time when the former champ placed his family and the business on at least even ground.

"Do you really think he would do something like that? I mean, this is Paul we're talking about here, not Randy." Steph said, hoping and praying it wasn't true. "Plus, how do I go about finding out if what you're telling me is true without seeming suspicious or like I don't trust him? And why should I believe you over anything he tells me? For all I know, you could be trying to split us up." said Stephanie, taking out her frustrations on Angle.

This went on for the next half hour, Stephanie rambling on about how he wanted to sabotage everything that made her happy in life. This was a lot to take in all at once and because of the implications it had on her life and her marriage, she didn't want any of it to be real. Kurt finally had enough and decided to lay it all out for Stephanie.

"Okay first off, the only difference between Paul & Randy is their situations, not their behavior. Both of them act like they're still teenagers. Second, all you have to do to find out if anything is going on is take notice of how he acts in general, especially around you. And lastly, if you _still_ think I would try to split the two of you up, then you _**obviously** _don't know me very well. I've grown up since then and am not going to sabotage a friend's happiness for my own personal gain. But... I'm not going to lie and act like I don't know what's going on; you deserve better than that from me, as a friend." Kurt explained to her, heading towards the door.

As Kurt was about to leave the room, Shane-O appeared on the other side.

"Hey Shane what's up?' Kurt said, happy to ease the tension in the room.

"Not much Kurt, just stopping by to visit and let you know I was told by my father that he could meet with you anytime from now till dinner to talk about whatever it is you guys were discussing over breakfast." he told Angle, aware that there were some serious bad vibes in the room flowing between him and Stephanie. 'He must've said something about Paul's behavior to her' Shane thought, knowing that interaction couldn't have gone well.

"Don't make yourself a stranger bro, come on in but keep it down because Aurora's sleeping.", Stephanie told her brother, hoping he would stay long enough to scare Angle away.

"Thanks for the heads up Shane. I better get the bulk of this meeting done and over with, as it will probably take a while if anything gets accomplished. Talk to you later man, don't work yourself too hard on the website stuff.", Kurt said, making a quick exit, letting the door slam shut on the way out.

* * *

"What was that all about sis? You could cut the tension in the damn with a knife the way the two of you were staring the other down.", Shane asked, very curious as to what went on before he came by. It had to be something major because Kurt had left in such a hurry.

"Shane, not now... I'm really in no mood to talk about any of this crap going on today." Steph told her brother, not even wanting to discuss why there was shit going down between her and Angle.

"But it's good to see you, it feels like I've been stuck in the bubble called home forever. This is like my first major outing away from the house since before Aurora was born. It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, even after being around Declan so much."

Shane sighed, still wanting to press on about the lingering tension but knowing he should just back down for now and let it play out. He knew that if she needed to, Stephanie would come to him or one of the other guys to talk things out.

"Actually, there was a reason I came here that I almost forgot about... that being Aurora. Can I please take her for a little bit sis?? I could use some uncle-niece bonding time before the show and you could relax for a bit and maybe even take a short nap. Please, pretty please?" he asked, almost begging his sister for the kid.

"I guess you could... everything of hers is in the Mickey Mouse bag on the couch. Don't be offended if I come looking for you guys within an hour, I haven't left her for more than 10 minutes so far and I might get a bit anxious and want to come find you. Call me if you need anything or want me to come take her back here." she told Shane, getting Aurora in her carrier for him. "Wow, she slept all the way through me fumbling with the straps on her carrier, that has to be a first. She probably wore herself out silly with her crying earlier today."

Shane picked up Aurora in her carrier along with her bag and headed towards the door. Before walking out, he turned around, looking at his sister. "The offer still stands if you want to talk about what is going on with you and Kurt. Anytime you decide you want or need to, just give the cell a ring, it's always on." he said, walking out of the room as Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief. She sat back down on the couch, putting her head in her hands and wondering how she ever got herself in such a mess as she was in now.

* * *

Before going to his meeting, Kurt decided to make a stop in the men's locker room really quick. After looking around to make sure no one else was in the room, he took two white tablets out of his pocket. He then proceeded to pop them into his mouth & take a quick drink of water before anyone could walk in and blow his cover

' Steph would kill me if she knew what I was doing' he thought, letting out a sigh. "I better get going to this meeting before anyone else gets involved." he said to the empty room, walking out the door and towards the conference rooms.


	3. Someday

Disclaimers: I do not own any of these characters. This chapter gets the special privilege of having a song in it. I do not own the song Someday, the group Nickelback and their record company own it.

Author's Notes: Sorry about the lack of updates, school's been sucky lately and up until this past week there's been a lack of inspiration to write Chapter 4, which will be posted sometime next week. Please leave reviews, I love them very much and my muses thrive on feedback like it's the food pyramid.

Chapter 3 – Someday

"How am I possibly going to be able to do it that way? Every professional I've talked to says I need to go through the whole process under their guide and away from any temptations that would cause me to revert back to this destruction." Kurt argued, trying to get McMahon to see reason.

"We can't afford to lose you right now, things are crazy as it is. I don't see why you can't do this whole program here, it wouldn't be any less effective." McMahon said, not budging an inch on the issue of Angle taking time off at all.

"YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE ME??!! AT THIS RATE , IF I DON'T GET SOMETHING DONE YOU'RE GONNA LOSE ME ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. BETTER TO LOSE SOMEONE TEMPORARILY THAN TO LOSE THEM _FOREVER_. THIS IS MY FUCKIN' LIFE AT STAKE HERE AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO GIVE A DAMN. I NEED TO GET BETTER FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY BOTH HERE AND AT HOME WHO CARE ABOUT ME, AND ME THEM!!" Kurt screamed in frustration, he just wasn't getting through at all and was slowly losing hope. "I GIVE UP!! YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR YOU... GLAD YOUR KIDS DIDN'T GET THAT FROM YOU!" he said, walking out the door and slamming it behind him. That man just didn't understand how bad the situation really was.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stephanie was watching the mystery tape in total shock, she just couldn't believe what she was seeing on the screen. It was clear now that Paul was having an affair with one of the Diva Search contestants. As the tape went on, she grew more and more upset and depressed. The breaking point was when she watched as he told this girl how sexy she was and how no one would find out. Steph broke down and started crying, feeling just awful for not believing Kurt earlier when they were talking about the pictures. 

'He was only trying to warn me and I didn't believe him at all. Hell, I even accused him of trying to ruin my life! What the hell kind of best friend does that??' she thought, lying on the couch still in tears.

* * *

A couple feet away, Mark Calloway was walking down the hall when he heard what appeared to be someone crying down the hall. Being the curious but caring person that he was, Mark decided to investigate. As he got closer, the crying started to sound very familiar and Mark knew exactly who it belonged to. 

'Crap, this is not going to be good at all,' he thought, opening the door and walking inside.

Hearing the door open the woman sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes with the edge of a throw pillow.

"Now don't you think for a minute you're going to fool me into thinking you weren't just crying your eyes out over there a second ago. What's going on and who's ass do I have to kick for making you so upset like this?" Mark asked, sitting on the couch next to Stephanie.

"Oh I'm such an idiot, I didn't see what was right in front of me all along and now it's all screwed up. He tried to tell me about Paul, Kurt did, and I didn't believe him. I questioned his motive for bringing it up and now I've totally screwed everything up. My stupid suspicion and distrust might have just cost me my best friend here!" she told him, still very much upset.

A sigh escaped the Deadman's lips, he knew _exactly_ what Stephanie was talking about. Hell, most everyone knew at least a small part of it.

* * *

"Who said I took what was said to heart Stephanie?" Both her and 'Taker looked up to see Kurt standing there in the doorway. After what was a brief moment of awkwardness, he came in and closed the door. 

"Don't lie just to be nice Kurt. I know I fucked things up with us again so don't make excuses for my idiocy. I swear one of these days I'm gonna get it right." Steph said, looking at the floor.

Mark stood up and headed towards the door. "I'll let you two talk while I go make mincemeat out of Gonzo." he said on his way out. Once Mark was gone, an awkward silence hung over the room again.

"Did you not listen to what I told you earlier today? Protecting family is a completely normal response to something like this, especially when you're not ready to face it." Kurt told her, sitting down on one of the sofa chairs. "What made you believe me afterall?"

Stephanie pointed towards the TV and pressed 'Play', looking anywhere but at the screen or Kurt the entire time. Anger and disgust filled Kurt, enraged that anyone could cheat on someone they loved.

"That bastard has no idea how good he has it with you! He has more support from you than from the entire locker room at any point in time. Only a selfish, uncaring person would do this to someone they love." Kurt said, feeling even more hopeless about things. "Why do bad things have to happen to good people? Why can't people gain perspective on their actions & decisions and how they affect others?" Kurt rambled on, frustrations with his own situation starting to come out.

Stephanie looked at him, here eyes filled with sadness and worry. "What's gonna happen now? How is he gonna make sure I 'never find out'? I'm scared about what's going to happen between now and when I finally tell him that I know everything."

* * *

It was starting to get late so Paul walked back to the main part of the arena, looking for Michaels so they could go over the plans for tonight. On his journey, one Mark Calloway stopped him in the hall. 

"What do you need 'Taker? I'm kinda lookin for my tag partner so I'm a bit busy right now." Mark cornered him against the wall, his hand with a firm grip around the arrogant bastard's neck.

"You listen here real good boy, 'cuse I ain't gonna tell you this again. If you hurt her with your lying, cheating ways, I can personally promise a meeting between me, you, and my fists. Are we clear on that Gonzo?" he growled, tightening the grip he had on Paul's neck. Paul quickly nodded yes, knowing fully well Mark wasn't kidding around.

Satisfied for now, Mark released the asshole and sent him falling to the ground.

"Glad to see we could come to an understanding here. I'll be watching, listening and talking with people from now on. Family looks out for family and I won't have you hurting _any_ sister of mine." Mark warned as he turned around and walked away.

* * *

"What do you mean you're not confronting him yet? How much more is it gonna take before you come clean? When is enough, enough? Why prolong the inevitable when all it's gonna do is cause you and Aurora more pain?" Kurt yelled, trying to understand what he was being told by Stephanie. He just couldn't fathom why Stephanie was going to wait a while before calling her husband out on his affair. 

"You just don't understand Kurt, these things just aren't that easy. I can't just go up to him and be like 'I know you're cheating, I have solid proof and I'm not gonna stand for it', it doesn't work like that. Letting him know isn't gonna accomplish anything since I can't leave him. It would only cause more trouble, especially knowing him." Steph tried to explain as Kurt just shook his head in disbelief

The words he just heard stung like no other ones could ever. How could she say there was no way to leave him? What kind of human being could possess such power and control over another? Kurt began to seethe inside as these thoughts and questions ran through his mind.

"So let me get this straight... you are staying with him. After all of this, you can't leave him for whatever reason that you won't tell me." Kurt said, his anger about to reach its peak and boil over.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU STEPHANIE? YOU HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO HELP YOU AND WHO CARE ABOUT YOU, YET SOMEHOW IT DOESN'T MATTER. HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT BEFORE EVERYTHING IS CLEAR STEPH? I CARE ABOUT YOU!! YOU'RE ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU GET HURT LIKE THIS! YOU ARE A GREAT PERSON AND DO NOT DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE CRAP, YET I CAN'T GET YOU TO BELIEVE IT YOURSELF." he screamed, not realizing that he was scaring Stephanie the whole time.

Steph was visibly shaken and frightened by all of this. Never before had she been yelled at by him like this and it was kinda scary to say the very least. Kurt saw her starting to back away and immediately felt guilty for yelling so much.

_How the hell did we wind up like this?_

_Why weren't we able, to see the signs that we missed_

_And try to turn the tables?_

"I'm sorry Steph, I didn't mean to yell at you like that. It was totally uncalled for and I hate that I scared you so much and made you even more upset than before." Kurt apologized, trying to make things better between them.

Steph looked at him, hurt and confused by everything that was going on. "You'll never know how much it does matter, not ever. That's the sad part about it all... you're the only one that won't know!" Steph told him, walking towards the door

_Now the story's played out like this_

_Just like, a paperback novel_

"Steph, don't leave! Let's talk about this, please!" Kurt pleaded, but it was of no use. Stephanie took one more look at her best friend, the hurt she was feeling easily seen in her eyes, before walking out the door. Realizing this may have been one of the last times he would see his good friend, Kurt broke down and let a few tears fall.

_Let's rewrite an ending that fits_

_Instead of a Hollywood Horror_

"I need to tell you something important ... and now I may never get the chance" he said aloud to the empty room, knowing his last opportunity to explain what was going on had been lost.

* * *

Author's Notes: Sorry this turned out to be so long, there was just too much to build up with the unveiling of the mystery tape. So, what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Want to suggest where the story should go from here?? Well then, leave a comment for me... as I said earlier, I do love them much and knowing people are enjoying the story gives me a huge boost of motivation when writing. 


	4. Heart of Stone

Yes, I'm finally posting a new chapter… the end of the quarter was hell for me so I didn't have that much time to write and edit. I guess you can say that my mp3 player and recent editions of Impact gave me the swift kick in the rear to post this chapter and quit editing it so much. I have to tell you, I was torn about how to end this chapter... but in the end I decided to not make Paul that much of an asshole.

The usual disclaimers apply, I don't own any of the characters so if you sue me you'll only get a messy apartment and a cable bill.

Chapter 4

A few weeks passed and neither Steph nor Kurt were speaking to each other, or even giving each other the time of day for that matter. Not only that, but Paul had been becoming more and more distant towards her, spending less and less time at home. Everything was taking its toll on Stephanie and it was very obvious to anyone around her. Survivor Series was right around the corner and the entire roster was anxious to see what matches would be made for the event. The week before, a triple threat interpromotional match for the WWE title had been announced but the other two participants had yet to be. There were many rumors going around the backstage area about who would be in thematch, all of them suggesting that one of the participants would definitely be Angle.

"So when do you think they'll announce the other two participants in the WWE title match at Survivor Series?", Amy asked Trish as they walked out of the cafeteria.

"I'm not sure", Trish replied, "but I've been thinking a lot lately and realized that we haven't had a girls night in for a long time."

"OMG, you're right! We haven't even had a sleepover in at least a year. I sure miss those, they're always so much fun.", Amy replied, ideas swirling in her head.

"So... that's why I was thinking that maybe we should have a sleepover party with all the girls sometime soon. Maybe next week after RAW we could all camp out in my room or something."

Amy's eyes widened as she started getting excited. "That's an awesome idea!!! We could invite Lillian, Maria, Mickie, Steph, and some of the girls on the SmackDown roster!! We'll order pizza & watch girly movies & gossip all night!!!!"

"Whoa there chica, you're gonna make yourself tired before the show even starts. And let's plan out this guest list because I'd really like it to have most of our original crew and maybe a couple of the girls we hang out with now. Now then, we automatically know Torrie and Lillian will come, and maybe Stacy will too with a little convincing. Whoever else is gonna come will probably depend on what all goes on that night.", Trish told the redhead, trying to make sure she wasn't forgetting anyone.

"Um Trish… how are we going to convince Stephanie to come have a night of fun with the girls? It seems like all she does lately is mope around here hoping that things will just magically get better.", Amy asked.

Trish didn't respond to the redhead's question because honestly, she didn't have a response. Getting the stubborn brunette to come have fun and forget about her problem for a while was going to be a difficult task.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. The reason that you two are not talking is because of an argument you guys had months ago." 

"Yes, I know it sounds stupid but you had to be there to understand. If you would've heard how angry he was, then this would all make sense. I can't try to talk to someone who is angry with me, it just won't work. Don't tell anyone else I said this but, I'm kind of scared to even try. When he just started yelling, it scared me so much and now that I've seen that side of him, I'm afraid to even approach him."

'Oh what a tangled web we weave', JR thought as he listened to Stephanie explain what was going on. If only she knew that earlier in the day, he had been asked by Kurt himself to try and see why she wouldn't talk to or even look at him. If only she knew that he was far from angry with her, that he was actually frustrated with the fact that she was hurting because of Paul.

"Listen Steph, I doubt that if he actually was angry with you then that he still is now. It's been months since the argument, plenty of time for things to quiet down. Why don't you go talk to him? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you."

"I just can't... for a variety of reasons, all of which you already know and none of which anyone is understanding. I wish I could, boy do I wish i could... but I just can't. There's just so much more to it than what is on the surface... so much more." , Stephanie said before turning around only to see Kurt down the hall a bit sitting against the wall.

Turning back around, she sighed and started off in the opposite direction that she had planned on going. "I'll drop by catering during dinner with those papers for you.", she told JR as she walked briskly down the hall.

Turning back around, JR came face-to-face with a hurt and dejected Kurt Angle who looked at him with such sadness in his eyes you could see straight through them into his soul. Before he could even ask any questions, JR gave him the only answer that was needed.

"She cares man, she really does. Even though she was trying to put up a front and all, it was easy to see that she does miss your company with how she talked about what went down between you two." he told Angle, "Don't give up just yet... just be patient and be there for her. Even the most stubborn of hearts eventually overcome the walls it builds around itself."

* * *

Later that night in catering, Trish found her opportunity to corner Stephanie and convince her to come to their girls night in. After Steph had finished talking to Mark, Trish walked right over to her before anything else could be said.

"Hey Mark, you don't mind if I interrupt real quick here do you? I didn't interrupt anything important did I?"

"Nah, we were just chatting about things that should just be done without even mentioning. Do you two need to talk privately?" he asked Trish, hoping she wouldn't make him leave.

"No, you can stay. Infact, I just need a minute of your time Steph. It's nothing business related so that defense has already been struck down. Myself and Amy were thinking about getting some of the girls together for a sleepover next Monday after the show and we really really want you to come. Think of it as a way to unwind, have fun for a bit, and enjoy a drama-free environment." Trish explained.

"Well, I really don't know Trish... I've got a lot of things to get together for the PPV and then Aurora would need someone to watch her." Steph quickly said, trying to come up with enough reasons why she couldn't be normal for a night. Lord knows she hadn't been able to live a normal life for months now, not with her husband fooling around on her and missing her best friend something terrible.

"She does have a father Stephanie, it wouldn't hurt him to stay home once in a while." Mark chimed in, leaving without her biggest reason for not going. "It sounds like fun to me... hanging out with some pretty cool girls and just being able to chill and do chic stuff together."

"See? Even Mark thinks you should go and that it sounds like a good time. Please Steph? When's the last time we all hung out together?"

"Oh ok, I'll come... but I do have one condition for this girls night in. That one condition is there will be no talk about work related stuff or intervention type deals that you are famous around here for Trish. I'm about totally loony because of all the dramatized bullshit around here."

* * *

That next Monday came around to find that Stephanie was actually looking forward to a little bonding time with the girls. Paul, however, was not happy at all that she was going out anywhere.

"Tell me again why you are going to this sleepover tonight. Don't you have work to do tonight?" he asked her, putting his bag on the hotel bed.

"I do have work but it can be done on the plane tomorrow morning. This sleepover has been long overdue because we all haven't hung out in a long time. The opportunity for some female bonding time came about and I figured I owed it to myself to unwind for a bit." Steph tried to explain, becoming very frustrated with Paul's attitude. "Plus, it's not like you'll be here anyways as usual. My father offered to take Aurora for the night since she could use some male influence in her life lately... it's sad that that male influence has to be her grandfather instead of her father. The fact of the matter is that whether or not I'm here, you'll be out sucking face with Maryse!" she yelled, grabbing her overnight bag.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE NOW!" Paul roared, spinning Stephanie around to face him.

* * *

It was now one in the morning and over in Trish's hotel room, the girls were starting to worry because Steph had yet to show up or even call for that matter.

" She said she was coming... hell, this afternoon we were talking about it and she sounded excited about hanging out tonight." Trish told the girls, pacing the room worried sick about her friend.

"Maybe she got stuck in a post-show meeting... you know how Vince is." Lillian suggested, trying to calm the nervous blonde in front of her. She knew that Trish's worried state was bound to become contagious, something that was not needed at the moment.

"Nope, not only is all of production here but I talked to JR and he said that they were done with their meeting and Stephanie had gone to her room to get some things before she came over."

All this time, Amy just sat there in silence when all of a sudden, a thought came to mind that scared the hell out of the redhead. "Call her room... if she doesn't answer, we go there and somehow get inside if there is no answer at the door."

As Trish picked up the phone, Kurt burst in the room and took the phone from her. The girls looked at him, wondering both where the hell he came from, flying into the room like a bat and what the hell he was doing.

"Don't bother, I know who you're trying to call and no one is going to answer no matter how many times you call. I need you guys to come with me... I need your help!" Everyone shrugged and followed him down the hall until they were standing in front of Kurt's hotel room.

"I was outside collecting my thoughts just a short while ago about everything that has been going on and while I was out there I came upon a sight that I hope to God I never see again." Kurt told the group as he opened the door, letting them inside. Amy was the first to walk in, but when she saw exactly what Kurt had been talking about, a gasp escaped from her lips as she tried to take in what was in front of her.


	5. Tied Together With A Smile

**A/N: Sorry for the long, long wait; winter quarter pretty much kicked my ass around here. **  
  


Chapter 5

"What the hell happened to her?" Amy asked, glaring at Kurt as if to insinuate that he was responsible for Stephanie's current state.

"I don't know. She was sitting on a curb rocking back & forth shivering when I found her. The entire way from the parking lot to here, the only words that I heard her say were 'Please don't hate me…. I'm sorry'. Luckily one of the trainers was just checking into a room down the hall & I was able to catch him before he settled in for the night." Kurt explained as Amy continued to stare holes into him. "What?"

"You know what; don't act like you don't Kurt. If it weren't for your blowup the other week, maybe Stephanie would have come here to you instead of almost turning into a frozen human outside."

Trish had heard more than enough out of Amy already and knew she had to stop this train before it jumped the tracks. Even though Trish did agree with some of what Amy was saying, she still couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the man in front of them. She knew that he meant no harm at all and just wanted the best for Stephanie, just like the rest of the group.

"Cool it Ames, save the aggression for your workout tomorrow. There's more important matters at hand right now then trying to place blame on anyone."

Trish sat the fiery redhead down before turning back around to face Kurt.

"So what exactly are we going to do? We can't exactly go get help because one, it'll get back to Gonzo the reject, and two, I don't know about you but I don't want to deal with Vince at this hour of the morning."

Kurt shook his head, the last thing he wanted or needed right now was to be dealing with the boss in any way, shape, or form. He walked over to the table over in the corner by the window and grabbed a pile of clothes, handing them to Trish.

"Ok, so these are the best I could do at the moment. They might be a bit big but they're dry and will keep her warm. What I was hoping was that you guys could get her changed out of these cold, damp clothes so she doesn't get sick. I'll go sit out in the hall and wait, just let me know when it's ok to come back in."

"What about the rest of the night? What are we going to do about finding her a place for the night?"

"No worries, she can stay here unless she wants to go with you guys. I'll just sleep on the couch over there and she can have the bed.", he replied, leaving the room to give the girls some privacy.

Trish rolled her eyes after the door closed behind Kurt. "Amy, come help me a bit over here!"

* * *

Adam was walking down the hall when he saw what appeared to be a somewhat depressed Kurt Angle sitting against the wall. 'That's weird', he thought, 'his room's like right there. Wonder what he's doing out here?' So Adam did what any good friend would do… he went to go check and see what the deal was. 

"Hey dude, what's up?"

Kurt looked up at his friend with sad, tired eyes that said so much on their own but still held so many secrets.

"Well, other than an inconsiderate boss, my flawless ability to chase people away that I care about, and my own personal problems and feelings… not much."

Adam sat down next to Kurt, prepared to spend quite a bit of time mostly listening to everything the man had to say.

"It's comforting, in a way, to know that some things never change." Kurt continued, "Adam, have you ever hid something from someone you cared about in order to protect them?"

Adam sighed, knowing exactly what the problem was. "Yes, I kept a huge secret to myself about something I had seen because I didn't want to see a good friend of mine hurting. I regret not telling them though… everyone deserves to know the truth, no matter how hurtful. I guess I thought it was the right thing to do at the time."

"Ok… so this guilt I'm feeling right now about this stuff with Stephanie is normal?"

Adam laughed, knowing so well what was really going on in that head of Kurt's. Confused, Kurt looked at his friend wondering what was so funny.

"That is so not guilt you are feeling man & you know it." Adam told him, trying to contain his laughter. "You loooovvvveeeee her!!!!"

Kurt started to turn red like sunburn in the middle of summer as he tried to keep cool.

"That's crazy talk man! I think you've taken too many chair shots to the head."

"Then why are you blushing now lover boy?? Huh??" Adam asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

"I'm _**not **_blushing, it's just hot in this hallway."

"Bullshit! You can't fool me Kurt, I'm not that naïve." Adam snickered, knowing he won this time.

Kurt sighed, there was no way to get out of this. Adam was just too good at figuring him out, no matter how much he tried to masked his feelings.

Adam wasn't finished teasing him however. "You really loovveee her, you wanna kiss her…"

"Don't you dare finish that thought Adam!"

"… do some rollercoaster ridin'…. _Allllllllllll__niiiiiiiiiiigghhhht__loooooooooooonng_" Adam sang, breaking out in a fit of giggles.

"That's so not true man!" Kurt said, punching Adam in the arm.

Everything came to a complete stop as the door to Kurt's room opened and out walked Amy. She said nothing to the two, just glared at Kurt before walking away.

* * *

Back in the hotel room, Trish and Stephanie, who was beginning to feel more like her usual self, were talking about everything that happened. 

"I'm so sorry I caused you all this worry Trish. I didn't mean to almost turn myself into a human icicle when I was out there; just had a lot on my mind and it was the only place…"

".. you felt you could go? What about Kurt? Why couldn't you go to him?" Trish asked, even though she knew the answer. She just wanted Stephanie to come out and admit to at least one thing tonight.

"Listen Steph, you're one of my best friends and I don't want to see you push away everyone that matters to you. Amy and I were so worried when we first started planning the sleepover that you wouldn't come because no one had been able to tear you away from work. You're using work to occupy your time and thoughts so that you don't have to deal & cope with anything that is going on." Trish told the brunette, trying not to get teary-eyed. "Stephanie, you're like a sister to me and I would hope that you know that Amy, me, and the rest of the girls will be there no matter what. Us girls, we're a team, we have to stick together. There are too many jerks out there that are able to destroy us if we let them and if we are alone. When we stick together, nothing can destroy what is inside us."

In recent months, the divas had grown closer as a community after what seemed like a long period of time of infighting and childish behavior. It was always a desire of both Trish & Stephanie's for the divas to be a united force backstage in the locker room. There was no room for jealousy or petty grudges, not when they were all working to accomplish the same thing; success in a male-dominated business.

Stephanie was looking around the room when she noticed a shirt sitting on the couch that could only belong to one person. Changing the subject, Stephanie knew she had

"Trish, this isn't my room is it?"

"No, it's Kurt's. Steph, the man had enough respect for you to come find us so that you could get into some dry clothes without invading your privacy. He even is willing to sleep on the couch tonight if you decide to sleep here so you can have the bed to yourself."

Stephanie was totally beside herself as Trish continued to tell her everything. How could someone have that big a heart to be so sweet after everything that she did?

"Oh wow, I feel so bad now. I can't believe he would do all this after how much I hurt him; but why?"

Trish shook her head in disbelief that anyone would ask that question, much less Stephanie.

"You should ask him that yourself. Night Steph." She said, walking out of the room.

* * *

Stephanie didn't notice Kurt walk back in the room at first; that was until the door loudly shut behind him. She didn't know why, but she was actually nervous about him being there in the same room. 

"Hey…." she said, quietly acknowledging she wasn't alone.

"Hey." Kurt replied, not really knowing what else to say at the moment. As much as he had rehearsed this meeting between the two, he was far from prepared for it. What followed was probably the most uncomfortable silence either had experienced before with anyone.

"Come here, I don't bite. I promise." Kurt nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed facing her.

"I guess it's kind of comforting to know I'm not the only one that's feelin' a bit gun-shy right now.", Steph continued, trying to ease the awkwardness of it all. Kurt laughed nervously, trying to get up the nerve to say something, anything.

"It's good to talk to you again Steph, I always enjoy our talks." 'I enjoy just being near you…' he thought.

After what seemed like forever, Stephanie broke the silence again.

"Kurt… I'm sorry I've been avoiding you lately. I really missed our talks and everything too. It was kind of a hasty decision… I should've come to you after walking out that day. I was just too scared to talk & unsure of where we stood after all that happened."

If words were daggers, then Kurt felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart. He had scared her during his rant about Paul… so bad, that she even questioned their status. The guilt he had been feeling earlier only increased and there was this sadness in his heart that weighed so heavily on his entire soul.

"Steph, I'm the one who should be apologizing, if anything. There was no need for me to yell at you like that… none at all. It was wrong and I have wished so many times that I could take it back.", Kurt held her hands in his, lost in those beautiful eyes as he continued to speak. "Please forgive me, I never want to be the reason you hurt. I just care about you a lot and want to see you happy."

Kurt turned his head as tears started to form in his eyes, not wanting Stephanie to see him cry. Once again, that stubborn pride was going to get the best of him.

"I was so scared tonight when I saw you in the parking lot… and then when you blacked out there for a bit. I didn't know what was going to happen to you and it scared me to think of what could have happened.", Kurt confessed, putting his head in his hands as the tears started to fall.

Stephanie reached out to him, moving closer while trying her hardest to keep calm & collected. The last thing she wanted was for Kurt to see her cry.

"Hey, it's ok now. I'm still here and in one piece aren't I?", she said, sitting up so that they were next to each other.

"You don't have to hide from me Kurt. It's okay to let it all out, nothing wrong at all with being true to your feelings." Stephanie wrapped her arms around him in a comforting hug-like embrace as she spoke.

Kurt noticed that tired look of sadness on her face and shook his head. "Then why are you trying to hide yours?", he asked gently.

Getting no answer, he got up & walked over towards the couch. "It's late, I should let you get some sleep.", he said turning off the light. Stephanie laid back down, feeling defeated while Kurt tried to get comfortable on the sofa sleeper.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour passed & Stephanie just couldn't sleep at all. At this rate, it was going to be a long night.

"Kurt? Are you still awake?"

"Huh?", he replied sleepily.

"Umm…. I can't sleep and… I was wondering…", Stephanie began to say, too shy to come right out and ask the question.

"Steph, do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?", he asked, secretly hoping for a yes.

"If you don't mind… if you can't then that's ok."

Kurt shook his head, getting up off the makeshift bed. "Nah, it's ok. Maybe it'll help me sleep better too.", he said, walking over to the other side of the bed.

Within minutes of laying down, Kurt had become what you might call a human pillow. Smiling, he draped an arm across Stephanie's sleeping form, coming face to face with her.

"I could definitely get used to this." he said sleepily, a look of contentment on his face as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
